I was so annoyed by Geoff Barton’s review of the new KK’S PRIEST album that I decided to break it down; not as though there’s much to break down here.
For those who don’t know, Geoff Barton was the writer and editor at Sounds and founder of Kerrang! magazine, and he came up with the term New Wave of British Heavy Metal. But, damn, do I hate his and basically every record reviewer’s writing style from that era. I mean, I haven’t read every review from that era, but usually these kinda guys write these super short, flippant, lazy, and smug reviews, where it sounds like they don’t have any stakes in what they’re reviewing, since they don’t have to buy any of it; and so they throw in a couple cheeky jokes and comparisons to other bands, who you might or might not have heard, and give the reader no clue as to whether he or she will actually enjoy the album being reviewed.
It opens with:
"Do KK's Priest (featuring ex-Judas Priest guitarist KK Downing and Tim 'Ripper' Owens, Priest singer 1996-2003) provide a credible alternative to the real thing? They do not."
I didn’t realize I was looking for “a credible alternative to the real thing”; that “real thing” being JUDAS PRIEST. Yeah, yeah, I know, I already complained that K.K. Downing pulled the whole VENOM INC. or ENTOMBED A.D. thing, where you just take your old band’s name and slightly alter it, so people know they’re at the very least getting a part of that old band. And, yes, if you’re going to do that, what you should do is, as mentioned in my review for the first KK’s Priest album, Sermons of the Sinner, is just name your band after an album, or a song, by the band to whom you want to draw attention; like Heaven and Hell or Last in Line. It may be tough in this case, since Sinner, Exciter, Steeler, and Tyrant are all taken. How about Dissident Aggressor, or, hell, Sentinel? I mean, the opener is a callback to “The Sentinel.” So, fine, it’s not “a credible alternative”, but I don’t think that matters.
"The Sinner Rides Again, the band's second album, suffers from the same faults as their first."
I actually reviewed the first one, and I just complained that some of the lyrics are a little clunky and silly. Otherwise, great album! Certainly better than that Senjutsu bilge that every dumbass metal reviewer listed as their number one best album of 2021! What’s Barton’s issue?
"In Downing's eyes (and ears), nothing has changed in the heavy metal world since Priest's Painkiller in 1990."
Huh? Whatchoo talkin’ ‘bout? You are aware that K.K. Downing played on, ya know, Jugulator, which had the low-end 90s metal riffing, Demolition, which had the low-end 90s metal riffing, industrial influences, and Tim “Ripper” Owens RAPPING on the last song, "Angel of Retribution," which was a return to the old style but still with modern metal elements, and Nostradamus, which was a super long and pretentious, double concept, symphonic power metal record, right? I WISH that K.K. Downing thought nothing has changed in metal since Painkiller! If anything, metal has changed too much since Painkiller! At least now the drums sound like natural drums and K.K. Downing is playing in standard, non-super low-end tuning!
"It's all grinding desperation and lank-haired perspiration. There's no light and shade, only doom and demolition."
Is that what it is? I thought it was good, old-fashioned heavy metal with great riffs, soaring leads, and big passionate vocals. Musically, The Sinner Rides Again alternates between quick and speedy, tunes like “Sons of the Sentinel” and “Reap the Whirlwind”, which evoke the Defenders of the Faith era, and more complicated, progressive songs that are closer to Priest’s 70s material; like “The Sinner Rides Again”, which has soft and pretty breakdowns, along with Tim Owens singing in a calm voice, something he should do more often, “Strike of the Viper”, which has some interesting, atypical rhythms, and “Keeper of the Graves”, which uses acoustic guitars, spooky moaning, and the expectedly terrific guitar work to evoke the feeling of a classic Hammer picture. It’s classic heavy metal, it’s the genre K.K. Downing nearly invented, and it’s the one where he naturally belongs.
"If you're gonna get mauled by a lion, at least make it interesting."
And, what DO you find “interesting”, Mr. Barton? Do you want KK’S Priest to make ANOTHER Nostradamus? Do you want him to find another aging singer-songwriter, perhaps IAN HUNTER, since Lou Reed and David Bowie are both dead, and make his version of Lulu? Are you expecting the former lead guitarist of Judas Priest to do some hipster, post-metal, experimental crap like PELICAN, JESU, or SUNN O)))? Or maybe Downing should get Tim “Ripper” Owens to rap on EVERY song on The Sinner Rides Again, you jaded, ass-old, baby boomer!
"This album is so one-dimensional that one begins to question the very existence of the Spider-Verse."
Well, you just referenced some stupid CGI Marvel superhero crap, so there goes any credibility you still might have had. If you’re going to be pulling out “multiverse” references, at least make them cool and kvlt, like something out of a Michael Moorecock novel.
"Echoes of Accept and Manowar exacerbate the archaic vibe."
Well, here we are with the clichéd references to other bands. ACCEPT are up to sixteen studio albums, and MANOWAR have thirteen! What about The Sinner Rides Again sounds like Accept or Manowar in any meaningful way? Which of the nine songs on the new KK’s Priest album sounds like either of these other two classic metal bands? Okay, I’ll throw you a bone; “One More Shot at Glory” has a bit of an epic battle vibe, or something. Actually, if anything, the opening to “Pledge Your Souls” reminds me of “Wasted Years” by IRON MAIDEN, I guess.
"We've heard it all before – and better. The album's highlight is Hymn 66, even if it is basically a rewrite of Dissident Aggressor."
Have you “heard it all before”? You’ve heard K.K. Downing use a church choir between the heavy parts of a song, let alone a Judas Priest song which runs through about 50,000 parts in under five minutes? Yes, “Hymn 66” has a riff that kinda resembles the “jah-jigga-jigg-jah” riff from “Dissident Aggressor”, and it lasts for, oh, fifteen seconds each time Owens sings a few lines. But let’s just completely forget about all of the other stuff that happens in that song and focus on that one little riff and call it a “re-write.” I will concede that the last two songs do seem to be reusing the “Deceiver” and “Island of Domination” riff; but again, that’s only a PART of those songs. They’re certainly not “re-writes”!
"In old-school reviewing terms, The Sinner Rides Again scrapes a – sadly appropriate – KK rating. In other words, 4/10."
Huh, huh, funny. Kerrang! magazine gave out K’s for their ratings. Maybe there’s a reason why we don’t go by “old-school reviewing terms.” Because they suck and seem as though they’re written by guys who don’t even like music, but are just paid to review it. The Sinner Rides Again is an easy 8/10; a couple songs are over too quickly, and I don’t like how the album is only 40 minutes long.
When I posted a link to Geoff Barton’s review of The Sinner Rides Again on the Revenge of Riff Raff Facebook page to complain about it, Tim “Ripper” Owens, commented with this:
"I’m sure an envelope of money was passed his way, or other favors. It’s sickening that a so called journalist would do a half ass review and get it so wrong. I’m sure this guy has some favors coming his way."
I never thought of that. Who in the biz has it out for KK’s Priest?
Grade: KKKK
Grade: KKKK
Edwin Oslan
Revenge of Riff Raff
15th October, 2023
Revenge of Riff Raff
15th October, 2023
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